When I say “first class,” what one word comes to mind?

Upgrade?

Travel?

Hotel?

Service?

When you travel a lot, you tend to want things better and more comfortable. Better food, better accommodations, better modes of travel and, of course, better service.

To meet these customer demands on any budget level, there’s every type of class of service. Over the years, nomenclature has changed to give people a different impression of where they are. In Europe, travel by train is “first class” or “second class.” BUT the class doesn’t just define the cabin; it defines the passenger and the level of service he or she will receive. American marketers have smartened up, and they call the second-class seating the “coach cabin” or even the “main cabin” to differentiate between those people traveling first class and those people who are not allowed to use the bathroom in the first-class cabin.

Hotels take it even further. Their worst, lowest-level room is called superior or deluxe. (Hotel terms for crappy and small.) Then they move up in class to executive, which means crappy and small on a higher floor. And in all full-service hotels, you can pick up the phone and order $5 worth of food for $50, plus tip.

In the month of January, I took more than 40 airplane flights. There are many people who don’t take 40 airplane flights in a decade.

Yes, I sit in first class.

BUT HERE’S THE REALITY: The level of service is not much different than that provided in the “main cabin.” It’s just different enough to be desirable.

But sometimes, the lower-level service accommodations – airplanes, taxicabs, restaurants, and hotels – offer friendlier service than the high-priced spreads.

The key difference is friendly.

Most people who are friendly tend to be more helpful, more empathetic, more accommodating, more engaging and better at serving.

It’s their pleasure to serve. Not their job to serve.

Here’s the problem: Once you’ve had the best service in the best places, it’s hard to take a backward step.

All things being equal, once you’ve stayed at a Marriott, it’s hard to go back to a Holiday Inn. Once you’ve stayed at a Westin, it’s hard to go back to a Marriott. Once you’ve stayed at the Four Seasons, it’s hard to go back to the Westin.

HERE’S YOUR REALITY: There are levels of service at your place of business. Unless the product is different in the mind of the customer, then your level of service, your level of friendliness and your level of customer accommodation will make you more desirable to do business with.

Service will also lead to word-of-mouth advertising and reputation. Your goal is to be known as a first-class company full of first-class people. The material equation at any “quality” level can be upstaged by the human equation of “service” as long as the disparity is not too wide.

The gap might be too great between Holiday Inn and Four Seasons. But between a Holiday Inn and a Courtyard Marriott, I’ll take the friendly place with great service every time.

What’s your reputation?

What are you known as?

What are you known for?

These three elements will determine your fate.

And then the big questions arise:

How do you find out what your reputation is?

How do you find out what you’re known for or known as?

You can get all the information you need to determine first-class reputation and success by garnering it from this two-word answer: your customer.

Their perception is your reality.

Want to read the list of my top 15.5 hotels in America? Go to www.gitomer.com, register if you are a first-time user and enter the word HOTEL in the GitBit box.